Micky Hingorani
Forum Replies Created
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Thanks, Nokulunga and others….A follow up question: how do you sustain the motivation of the stakeholders (even between trials) without exhausting their commitment? What strategies do you use to ensure that they feel like they have contributed to the research process but also benefited?
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) What is your experience with stakeholder mapping? How do you use stakeholder maps at your site? Discuss how you (and your colleagues) determine the importance of involving one stakeholder versus another. For example, how do you determine who constitutes your CAB?
I have minimum experience with mapping and have used the techniques of conducting a situational analysis and community profile to understand the community. We have used information from various resources to understand the community and develop our referral structures and network contacts. We ensure that all health and social development members are part of the stakeholders and that the CAB is made up of volunteers from our recruitment areas, health services, traditional leaders and social development services. I like the idea of critical thinking of developing CABs and using the mapping techniques explained in this module. We have used a system of asking members to complete biosketches and we assessed their eligibility to be CAB members using a few criteria indicators such as willingness to be part of HIV prevention, experience in an organisation, ability to participate and contribute to discussions, have had health education and outreach exposure. This has helped to a limited extent.
2) Stakeholder engagement is not easy and multiple partnerships can be hard to manage. How can you partner with stakeholders to create a community of sustained engagement? How can you get members of your research team to “buy-in” to sustained or longer-term stakeholder partnerships?
Sustainability is not easy in an environment with high unemployment and high expectations for monetary rewards or compensation. But we have now been working with our communities for over a decade and built trust as we have always been open and honest to our stakeholders of the research process, outcomes and study closures. We have also provided support for capacity development of community members who have attended conferences and scientific events sharing their voice about final results. Long term partnerships may be achieved using the GPP principles and applying this in partnership with the community. Developing capacity of the community members to access employment and improve technical skills like using a computer, chairing sessions, presenting at meetings, writing minutes has helped with sustainability to a limited extent. This is work in progress for me personally but very important to strengthen my skills in sustaining CABS.
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1. Stakeholder mapping is an important step to understand who your key stakeholders are, where they come from, and what they are looking for in the relationship to your organisation. In our Research centre when doing stakeholder mapping, we list all relevant groups, organisations and that is regarded as identifying stakeholders and in that process we try to understand what is going to be their main interest in the research. stakeholders are engaged according to their levels and their roles in the community but all stakeholders are very important because they all have influence in the community.
2. Engaging with stakeholders to create a community sustained engagement is very important that also including understanding their roles in the community and their understanding of the research. by attending community events and letting community understand what is really happening in research centre.
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1. During the Ebola trial planning stage, the team identified the target population, based on this, we identified individual that can link us to the targeted study population. Advocacy visit was paid. Usually during these visit we prioritize the people we met based on their influence. We engaged them separate by educating them about the trial especially when we perceive an opposition. The CAB members were essentially made up of community member and opinion leaders. Religious leader representing the two major religion in Nigeria Islam and Christianity were selected, media experts, representative of the community that was picked out for recruiting volunteers as well as legal expert.
2. For the CAB members, weekly updates are sent to them. They also hold their meeting quarterly which is funded by the research. But from the planning stage, all the stakeholders engaged are mostly people who a member of the team know or the stakeholders engaged recommended. So to some extent they are people who are ready to volunteer their time and resources without expecting anything. Because they are not expecting any incentive they work with an open mind. This encourages sustainability as there is constant updates of what is happening. They usually nominate a member to visit the site.
As a research team, adequate plans has to be made to at least make a difference in the life of the stakeholders, it could be inform of education, information or provision of some facilities. For instance,a community that was engaged during a previous research is so eager to volunteer for this study because the research team was able to sink a borehole where the community can fetch water from. This has made that community research conscious.
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1. at our site we used have stakeholders that were mainly worked with TB and HIV patients and that worked because they were trusted by the community and their work was voluntary. however we had to adapt because most people who worked in these sector were now employed by the government. one other thing during this time we realized that our CAG was one sector based. we stated to introduce other sectors that worked with the community and now our CAG has people work in government, trade unions, activist, Traditional healers, LGBTI and NGO’s working with TB and HIV patients.
2. one of the things we did at our side is to show our CAG members that, as people who are involved in community work and want to bring change. being part of the CAG is part of the change they are pursuing and they can incorporate their daily work and their role as the bridge between the side and the community.
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Hi Erica and Heidi– I agree that managing personalities, motivations, and expectations is tricky. Balancing these different perspectives and also on sustaining the ‘dialog’ between trials can be challenging! How do you determine which relationships are more relevant in the long-term? Is there a specific way you analyze and prioritize each relationship and determine your own investment?
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1. In my site what determines the importance of involving a stakeholder in research activities, first is the nature of study (i.e. vaccine trial or HIV cohort with out much intervention), we sometime check the location/ geographical area where we recruit participants , also the area or the aspect from which she/he will represent the community e.g from women groups or youths or religion just to make sure that we have a wide range of stake holders who can contribute , advice or comment on the study procedures or design in connection to the target population.
2. I agree with you sometimes managing multiple partners is difficult especially when you have people with difficult personalities among the stakeholders. However in my experience if we have to deal with two groups that might not agree on some easily we normally conduct discussion in two separate groups and when we have an agreement that is okay with both side then we tell the to choose one or two representatives from the groups who will participate either in a bigger group discussion or in a seminar or meeting.However in most cases we have managed to sustain partnership with out much strain.
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I totally agree with Erica, transparency and mutual understanding is core in stakeholder engagement
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Hi all,
As a study we invited the CAB as a key stakeholder to visit our labs, this process assisted to eliminate speculations that go with drawing of blood. The CAB is now able to explain fully to the community the pathway of blood samples. The other key stakeholder that we engaged are communities living with HIV. This relationship has helped us gain more information on the general expectations of this community. We have also been able to grow this relationship by training representatives of communities of people living with HIV. This has been a great opportunity to share research literacy which will in turn be rolled out to the various organisations of communities of people living with HIV.
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In preparation of an international HIV prevention study, we have to map which stakeholders should review the protocol. With this have to take into account relationships between different groups, as well as ensuring that country-specific feedbacks are incorporated. I learned today that priority setting can be helpful in reaching out to protocol reviewers.
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In my research team, there is awareness about the different stakeholders, from a local to an international level. There is still a lot to do in terms of stakeholder engagement, and priorities will need to be set seen the limited resources we’re (all) dealing with
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In our context we have done community mapping in trying to get to understand sex workers from their Hot spots. We get to understand their way of living and the challenges they face that can interfere with our trial study. The GPP Course is adding value to us on how to strategies the community engagement.
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Formative research is the baseline, community mapping, aims to establish community stakeholders, the myths and misconceptions so as to develop appropriate tools to engage the community. Community engagement is the process of reaching out to the community after establishing gate keepers for their buy in.
formative research is also a form of or a step in community engagement.
In preparation for our first vaccine study we mapped the community in an effort to establish critical stakeholders, we eventually reached. we then engaged them to in preparation for the study and addressed all their fears and concerns. Political leaders initially had concerns but eventually came out strongly in support of our study. we also have a CAB that meets regularly to get updated on our research activities while giving us community concerns.
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Formative Research activities are the initial processes to community engagement which include community mapping in getting to understand the local population, their local perceptions, their social cultural norms and practices.
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I believe that Formative research is a component of community engagement. It a process that which draws a road map for community engagement. In the absence of formative research, it will be very difficult for research to have a meaningful community engagement. Therefore, I feel that formative research is foundation for a meaningful community engagement.